Field emission display devices show promise in providing a low cost alternative to LCD displays, especially with respect to laptop computers. Furthermore, field emission devices are beginning to be practically applied in other areas, such as billboard-type display devices.
One of the challenges in producing a good field emission device or display is the manufacture of a field emitter material, which is inexpensive to manufacture yet efficient with respect to power consumption and consistent in its display characteristics. Carbon and/or diamond field emitter materials have shown promise in meeting such constraints.
One of the problems with present methods for depositing such films for use in a matrix addressable display is that in order to pattern the film these processes utilize one or more treatment (e.g., etching) steps after a film has already been deposited on the substrate. Such treatment steps degrade the film's performance and emission capabilities, often to the point where the film emissions are inadequate. As a result, there is a need in the art for a deposition process whereby post-deposition processes performed on the film are not utilized.